Brighter sunny days will see young and established plants responding, but they’d grow better still with some protection- in many places, the wind is cold, and nighttime temperatures are just above freezing. This leaves young plants with soft new growth at risk and will slow down germination rates too.
- Keep ‘hardening off’ plants- if moving young plants from a windowsill outdoors, leave them out during the day and bring them in or cover them up at night until they have adjusted to a change of temperature.
- Choose the sunniest, sheltered spots you can find for growing your plants.
- If you can create mini-greenhouses or ‘cloches’, do. Young plants and seedlings get all the warmth of any sun and none of the cold wind that will slow their growth.
- Keep an eye on nighttime temperatures and, if necessary, gently wrap plants up at night with bubble wrap, a large plastic bag or anything else you can find for a bit of extra protection.
Don’t be tempted to rush out and buy horticultural fleece; it is a single-use plastic and unlikely to last for the next growing season.
